Karma Hybrid comes with a drool worthy body and a near $100k price tag

Although many people had doubts whether Fisker's
voluptuous Karma hybrid would ever
make it to production, the company is making good on its promise to take on
the big guns in the automotive world. To show its good faith, Fisker gave
automotive publications the chance to test its first hybrid sedan.

For those that don't remember, the Karma features a
turbocharged 2.0-liter Ecotec four-cylinder engine (supplied by General Motors)
that develops 260hp. In addition, the Karma also features two rear-mounted 201hp
electric motors (402hp total) which get their power from a 21 kWh lithium-ion
battery pack. Like the current generation Prius (as an optional feature), there
are solar panels in the roof to power interior accessories.

According to the previews, despite having a relatively
complex and powerful 260hp engine on tap, it is only used as a generator. As a
result, the Karma's electric motors are always providing the forward thrust for
the vehicle.

Tugging the “sport”
paddle to the left of the steering wheel brings additional energy to bear. When
the gasoline engine kicks in to supplement the battery pack’s wattage—to trim
the 0-to-60-mph run from a claimed 7.9 seconds to 5.9, or to add 250 miles to
the driving range—the extra thrust is accompanied by the whistle of a turbo
spooling up, the snarl of angry exhaust gas, and a resonant boom or two…

But the physics
conspire against it keeping pace with other $100K sports sedans. In spite of
the joys of low-rpm electric torque, the realities of a curb weight well above
4000 pounds and only one gear ratio mean that mileage is where this car excels.

All the exterior
panels on the Karma are made of either aluminum — including the hood and outer
door panels — or molded resin composite as on all four fender panels. The
supersize 124.4-inch wheelbase (almost 10 inches longer than on a Porsche
Panamera) is the exterior's most notable dimension and the 22-inch wheels
bookend the look quite nicely...

Our only gripe was
that the Karma didn't feel as solid all around as its German and Japanese
competitors. Wind noise and road noise, however, are very well contained
overall. Some smaller wheels might help out in the ride quality department,
too, but according to Fisker's engineers, a change in that direction would
bring the center member of the steering mechanism a little too close to the
ground. A set of 21-inch all-season tires is as small as they're willing to go.

But the Karma has
several vital factors in its favor, not least its stop-the-traffic looks, its
thorough engineering, its great driving characteristics and a price that, while
high, doesn’t look unrealistic against the competition. If the car makes a good
start — and the 3,000 orders already held seem to promise as much — it could
easily become the next must-have automobile among Hollywood’s glitterati.

The 2012 Fisker Karma is expected to have a base price of
$95,500. Conveniently, this places it in direct competition with the Porsche
Panamera Hybrid S (base price $95,000). There's no question that the Karma
has the Panamera beat (by far) on looks, but the Panamera has a proven family
history/pedigree while the Karma is starting with a clean slate.

With 3,000 buyers having already waiting in line to get their
hands on the Karma, at least a wealthy few are willing to give the vehicle a
chance.

"Paying an extra $500 for a computer in this environment -- same piece of hardware -- paying $500 more to get a logo on it? I think that's a more challenging proposition for the average person than it used to be." -- Steve Ballmer